Musical cane



MUSICAL GANE Filed July 20, 1935 Patented May 15, 1934 MUSICAL CANEPasqualle Marinacci and Salvatore Bonacci, Syracuse, N. Y.

Application July 20, 1933, Serial No. 681,336 y 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a musical cane having a relatively movablehandle and a sound-producing device incorporatedtherein in such mannerthat when the handle is moved in one direction it will cause theoperation of said device.

The main object is toprovide a cane of inconspicuous constructioncomposed of coaxial sections telescopically assembled for relative axialmovement and to conceal within one of the sections a pneumaticsound-producing device (preferably musical) adapted to be operated bythe relative axial movement of the sections.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cane embodying the variousfeatures of my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional View of the upperportion of the cane taken on line 2 2, Figure 1.`

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken in the plane of line 3 3,Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view of the upper portion of a modiedform of the handle section on a smaller scale than that shown in Figure2.

As illustrated, this cane comprises an elongated downwardly taperedground-engaging section 1, a handle section 2, and a sound-producingdevice 3.

The upper portion of the section 1 is cylindrical and is provided with areduced upwardly projecting central stem or extension 4 having one ormore diametrical and vertically elongated slots 5, both of which areclosed at their lower and upper ends, as shown more clearly in Figure 2for a purpose presently described.

The handle section 2 preferably comprises a vertically elongated tubularcylindrical body 6 having its upper end provided with a cap section 7rigidly secured thereto by any suitable fastening means.

Within the upper end of the tubular body 6 is secured a plug 8 having acentral upwardly tapered opening 9, the walls of which form a seat forthe musical device 3 to hold the latter against upward displacementwhile permitting it to be inserted from the underside upwardly throughsaid opening before the parts of the handle are assembled.

A tubular bushing 10 is secured within the tubular handle section 6between and in spaced relation to the plug 8 and an annular shoulder 4at the base of the stem 4 forming a part of the ground-engaging section1.

This bushing 10 is preferably secured within the tubular section 1 bymeans of a cross pin 11 extending diametrically through one or the otherof the slots 5,`the object in providing two slots, as shown, being tofacilitate assembling of the bushing 10 within the tubular section 6.

A coil spring l2 surrounds the portionof the stem 4 between the bushing10 and shoulder-4' and has one end bearing upon said shoulder and itsother end engaged with the underside of the bushing for yieldinglyholding the handle section 2 in its normal elevated position.

If the handle section2 is made'of metal, the cap section 'l and plug 8may be weldedor otherwise secured to the upper end of the section 6, or,

if the handle sections are made of wood, the parts 6, '7, and 8 may beglued or otherwise cemented to each other. .pj

In Figure 4 is shown a modied form of cap section 'l' having its lowerend reduced and closelyl tted in the upper end of the tubular sectionvand releasably held in operative position by one or more set screws 13.v

These cap sections 7 and 'l' are provided with upwardly flaring centralopenings 14 for the emission of sound produced by the operation of thesound-producing device 3.

This sound-producing device preferably comprises a compressable air bulb15 arranged and concealed within the upper end of the handle section 2and having its lower end seated in a concave seat 16 on the upper end ofthe bushing 10 and its upper end tapered and extended into the lower endof the opening 4, the intermediate portion of the bulb being seatedagainst the upwardly tapered walls of the opening 9 in the plug 8, asshown in Figure 2. f

Arranged within the upper open end of the pulb 15 is a musical reed 17or equivalent soundproducing device adapted to be operated by theexpulsion of air from the bulb 15 when the latter is compressed, in amanner presently described.

It will now be understood that the bulb 15 and its reed 17 constitutes apneumatic horn which is held and entirely concealed within the handlesection 2.

The bushing 10 is provided with a central lengthwise opening 18 forreceiving the upper end of the stem 4 of the lower ground-engagingsection 1, said stem having its upper end equipped with a bearing plate19 of rubber or otherl yielding material adapted to engage the lower endface of the bulb 15 when the sections ist 1 and 2 are moved endvm'serelatively to each other.

Operation When the Walking cane is used in the usual manner, the lowerend is adapted to engage the ground o1' pavement while the handlesection 2 is adapted to be depressed by hand in the act of leaning uponthe cane, thereby forcing the -handle section, together with the soundproducing device 3 downwardly to bring the lower end of its bulb 15 intoengagement with the upper end of the stem 4 of the lower section 1.

Through this operation the bulb 15 will be compressed to force the airthrough the reed 1'7 for producing a musical tone or sound but as soonas the downward pressure upon the handle section 2 is relieved,thespring 12 will automatically return the handle section andsound-producing device to their normal up positions ready for arepetition of the sound-producing operation, it being understood thatthe upward movement of 'the handle section will be limited by ,theengagement of the cross pin 11 with'the upper end wall of the slot 5,thus preventing accidental displacement ofthe handle section Yfrom theground-engaging section.

It will also be understood that the lower end of the handle section 6,although iitting rather closely upon the upper cylindrical end of thesection 1,',is .nevertheless suiciently loose to permit the sections 1and 2 to move freely and axially one upon the other.

-Instead of applying the lowersectionl to the ground, the'two sections 1and 2 may be moved telescopically endwise one upon the other by hand toproduce the same effect Vupon the soundproducing device 3.

The objectof the yielding pad A19 on the upper end ,of the stem 4 is to`prevent undue wear of the lower end of the bulb 15 as the stem 4 ismoved into and out of engagement therewith.

The device as shown is particularly simple, practical and efficient andwhile it is adapted to be used by paraders vand other persons foramusement purposes, it nevertheless may be used in the usual manner as awalking cane, the operation of the sound-producing device being optionalwith the user.

It is evident, however, that other sound-proing devices might be usedwith equal efciency within or upon the cane and that other changes maybe made in the detail construction of the cane Without departing fromthe invention.

What I claim is:

1. A musical cane comprising a lower` relatively long section having itsupper end reduced in diameter to form a central stem, a relativelyshorter tubular handle section slidable telescopically-of and upon thestem to extend upwardly above-said stem and having its upper endprovided with a chamber of greater diameter than and in axial alinementwith the stem, a spring normally urging the handle upwardly, an airbulbseated in said chamber and adapted to engage -the upper end of the stemto be vcompressed by the same when the handle is moved downwardlyagainst the action or said spring, and -a sound-producing deviceactuated by the air expelled from the bulb.

2. A cane comprising a lower relatively long section and a relativelyshorter tubular handle section slidable telescopically upon the upperend ofthe longer section and provided with an air outlet, in combinationwith a spring within the f' handle section and engaging both sectionsfor normally urging 'the handle section upwardly, means for limiting theupward movement of the handle by said spring, an air -bulb within thehandle wholly below the upper end thereof and having an air outletcommunicating with the rst outlet and adapted to be compressed betweenthe upper ends of the handle and lower section as the handle is moveddownwardly against the action of the spring for producing i ist

